Ironing board



R. L. DORSEY April 28, 1931.

IRONING BOARD Filed Dec. 20, 1926 Patented Apr. 28, 1931 UNITED r s'lA'rI-:s

IRONING BOARD Application mea December 2o, 192s. semaine. 155,887.

Itis the obj ect of my invention to produce a collapsible table, for ironing or other purposes, which can be compactly folded and which when extended in working posiftion will be very rigid and stable. A

further object of my invention is to so construct my table that the natural tendency of the board to warp in service will be counteracted.

I accomplish the above objects by constructing my table with two legs which support the top whenextended and which fold closely against the top when collapsed, and I provide a brace which acts between the f" two legs and the table top and when in place strains all parts of the structure slightly so that there will be no lost motion between the parts of the table when it is extended in position for use.

The accompanying drawing illustrates my invention: Fig. 1 is a perspective view of an ironing table extended in working position. Fig. 2 is a perspective view showing the legs of the table in partially extended position; Fig. 3 is a fragmental side elevation in partial section illustrating the latch by means of which the brace is held in place; and Fig. is a perspective view of the latch removed from the top.

' My table comprises a top 10 to the undersurface of which Vnear one end of the board are affixed two U-shaped brackets 11 which serve as a mounting for the legs of the table, such legs being pivotally mounted in the brackets 11 by means of a pin 12 which may extend through both brackets. The front leg 13 of the table consists conveniently of a single strip of wood mounted on the pin 12 between the two brackets 11. The upper end 13 of the leg 13 is made long enough so that it will engage the under surface of the top 10 and limit outward movement of the leg 13 to the oblique position shown in Figs. 1 and 2.

Y The rear leg of the ironing table is a double leg formed of two strips 15 and 16 which are pivotally mounted by means of the pin 12 and which preferably diverge as they extend away from such pin. rl`he two strips 15 and 16 are connected rigidly together byfmeans of one or more cross braces 1'?.V In the drawing, I have shown two of the/cross braces'y17 Vbetween which there exte'n'dstwo laterally spaced strips 18.

To the strips 18 there is pivotally attached Y one end of abrace formed of two spaced strips 19 which receive between them the leg"1'3"a"i1d are provided with an abutment in the form ofv a cross pin 2O adapted vto bearL'againsty the top surface of the leg 13 when the table is extended. Extending between the two members 19 and the brace at their ,free 1 ends is a second abutment or tongue inthe formof a cross piece 22 which is `conveniently formed of sheet metal.

Located in.' a predetermined rposition on the under surface of the table top is a latch 23 which engages theabutment 22` and locks the brace 19 'position when the table is extended The -latch 23 comprisesfa `Hat plate 24 adaptedto be secured to the under surface ofthe-'top 1021s by means of screws 255Proje`cting" outwardly from the plate 2L1-is a to'oth26 adaptedto engage the strip 22 'to hold the brace in place. To prevent the strip ffrom` becoming accidentally dislodged from behind the tooth 26, I provide a retainer 28 conveniently formedof spring sheet-metal andsecured in place between the plate 24 and the top10 of the ironing table.

The retainer 28 extends downward through a hole 29 in the plate 2% and is provided at theproper place with a shoulder 30 which engages theedge of the strip 22 and holds such strip in contact with thetooth 26.

`While the-brace19 is in position `with the table extended, theupper ends ofthe two members composing lthe brace 19 straddle the plate 24C and prevent, any lateral move-` ment of the brace or of the front leg r13. f Y

When my table is folded, the front andy rear legsand the brace 19 liey againstthe loweroside of the', top 10 so that the table i occupies relatively small space; llVhen it is desired to set thetable up, the legs are swung outward about their pivotal mounting on the pin 12, Voutward movement of the leg L13 being'limited by engagement of the end 13 thereof with' the lower side of the top 10.

Outward movement of there'ar 'legs is""l'imitl ed by engagement of the pin 2O with the upper' surface of the front leg 18. As the free end of the brace 19 is moved toward the top 10, the free end eventually engages he under surface of the top 10 slightly before the strip 22 engages the latch-tooth 26. The further movement of the brace 19 which is necessary to cause the abutment 22 to engage the latch-tooth 26' causes a deflec- 'fion of the parts of the ironing board, particularly of the front leg 13, as such deiiection is necessary to permit the brace 19 to more suiiiciently to bring the strip 22 into engagement with the latch-tooth 26. Wrhen the strip 22 is engaged behind the latchtooth 26, the elasticity of the parts which have been strained tends to move the upper end of the brace 19 to the right in Fig. 3; and as this movement is prevented by the engagement of the tooth 26and the strip 22, the table is Vlocked in open position. To collapse the table, the retainer 28 is moved Vto the dotted line position shown in Fig. 3

out of engagement with the strip 22, thus permitting removal of suoli strip from behind the latclrtooth.

lVhen the table is opened, the upward reaction of the end 13- of the front leg 13 and the downward reaction of the strips 15 and 16, tend to bend the board transversely l to make its upper surface convex. This counteracts the warping effect which results from alternate dampening and drying of the upper surface of the board.

I claim as my invention l. A folding table, comprising in combination a rigid top and a collapsible support therefor, said support including a leg pivotally mounted on said top, a brace pivetally mounted on said leg,"said brace comprising two laterally spaced bars, a tongue extending between said bars nea-r the free end of the brace, a latch mounted on said top in position to be engaged by said tongue hold said leg in extended position, and a spring retainer adapted to engage said tongue to prevent accidental disengagement of the tongue and latch.

2. A folding table, comprising a rigid top, front and rear legs pivotally attached to said top and adapted to swing to folded position close against the lower surface ef said top, means for preventing downward swinging movement of said front leg beyond a predetermined oblique position in which it is disposed between said reaif and top, a brace pivetally mounted on said rear leg at point displaced from the axis of pivotal attachment of said rear leg to raid top and adapted when the table is eX- tended to extend forwardly and upwardly Y across said front leg, means on said top for engaging the upper end of said brace to secure it 1n predetermined position, and an abutment on said brace, the upper surface of said front leg being uninterrupted and said abutment being adapted to engage such upper surface of the front leg and to slide therealong to force the front leg outwardly as said brace is moved into engagement with said brace-eiigaging means.

3. folding table as set forth in claim 2 with the addition that said braceis formed of two laterally spaced bars between which said front leg is received, said abutment comprising a cross-pin extending between said two bars.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand at Indianapolis, Indiana, this 9th day of December, A. D. one thousand nine hundred and twenty six.

ROBERT L. DORSEY. 

